1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to flavors or fragrances, particularly natural flavors or fragrances. More specifically, it relates to a process for production of a natural flavor or fragrance capable of producing a natural flavor or fragrance more efficiently.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flavors or fragrances are becoming essential elements in perfume cosmetics, food, and other various fields.
Flavors or fragrances may be roughly divided into xe2x80x9cnatural flavors or fragrancesxe2x80x9d obtained by separation from naturally existing fragrance or flavor plants and animals and xe2x80x9csynthetic flavors or fragrancesxe2x80x9d obtained by chemical synthesis.
Synthetic flavors or fragrances can all be mass produced relatively easily by chemical techniques, but natural flavors or fragrances are often subject to various types of restrictions in terms of mass production due to the fact that the starting materials are natural materials.
The typical restrictive factor thereof is xe2x80x9cagingxe2x80x9d.
That is, many cases are observed, in particular in the case of plant-derived natural flavors or fragrances, where there is no value to the flavor or fragrance in the fresh state and where the value as a natural flavor or fragrance is only able to be realized by aging over a long period of time to produce essential oils.
This aging period can require several years in the longer cases. Due to this long aging period, natural flavors or fragrances become scarce items. This is becoming a major factor obstructing their broader use.
Therefore, various attempts have been made to shorten the aging period for natural flavors or fragrances (see Japanese National Patent Publication (Kohyo) No. 6-502685, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2-86785, etc.), but these attempts cannot really be said to have sufficiently shortened the aging period for natural flavors or fragrances yet.
Accordingly, the objects of the present invention is to provide a means for shortening the aging period for natural flavors or fragrances to enable easy production of natural flavors or fragrances.
The present inventors engaged in repeated intensive studies for solving this problem. As a result, we found that by using a xe2x80x9cunicellularized plantxe2x80x9d, obtained by unicellularizing, not destroying, the cells of a plant usable as a starting material for a natural flavor or fragrance, as the material for the natural flavor or fragrance and further by applying enzymatic treatment and/or chemical treatment or by continuously heating the same, it is possible to remarkably shorten the aging period for producing a natural flavor or fragrance.
That is, in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for producing a natural flavor or fragrance comprising the steps of:
unicellularizing a plant usable as a starting material for a natural flavor or fragrance to promote the aging of the natural flavor or fragrance in the unicellularized plant (hereinafter also referred to as the xe2x80x9cunicellularized plantxe2x80x9d) and collecting the aged natural flavor or fragrance.
Further, the first aspect of the present invention provides a process for producing a natural flavor or fragrance comprising continuously heating the unicellularized plant to promote aging of the natural flavor or fragrance in the unicellularized plant and collecting the aged natural flavor or fragrance.
Further, the first aspect of the present invention provides a process for producing a natural flavor or fragrance comprising applying an enzymatic treatment and/or chemical treatment to the unicellularized plant to promote aging of the natural flavor or fragrance in the unicellularized plant and collecting the aged natural flavor or fragrance.
Further, the first aspect of the present invention provides a process for producing a natural flavor or fragrance comprising applying an enzymatic treatment and/or chemical treatment to a unicellularized plant and further continuously heating the same to promote aging of the natural flavor or fragrance in the unicellularized plant and collecting the aged natural flavor or fragrance.
The present inventors further engaged in repeated intensive studies for solving the above problem. As a result, we also found that by using a xe2x80x9chomogenized plantxe2x80x9d, obtained by homogenizing quickly after harvest a plant usable as a starting material for a natural flavor or fragrance and further by continuously heating the homogenized plant, it is possible to remarkably shorten the aging period for producing a natural flavor or fragrance.
That is, in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for producing a natural flavor or fragrance comprising homogenizing a plant usable as a starting material for a natural flavor or fragrance quickly after harvest to promote the aging of the natural flavor or fragrance in the homogenized plant and collecting the aged natural flavor or fragrance.
Further, the second aspect of the present invention provides a process for producing a natural flavor or fragrance comprising continuously heating the homogenized plant to promote aging of the natural flavor or fragrance in the homogenized plant and collecting the aged natural flavor or fragrance.